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Forget the trailer queen shows and head to Texas for the rolling and rocking Rockers vs. Mods rally March 26-28, 2010, in Dallas. Showcasing one-of-a-kind bikes, a raffle, slow races, night rides through downtown, bands, DJ’s and general mayhem for Italian scooter and European bike enthusiasts and spectators, the Rockers vs. Mods rally brings cool classic bikes out of the garage and onto the street.
Freestyle motocrosser Seth Enslow broke the existing record of 157 feet for a successful long distance jump aboard a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, sailing 175 feet through the air on a specially prepared 2010 XR1200. And he did it twice!
Suzuki RE5 guru Sam Costanzo, often credited for almost single-handedly securing and providing parts, service and technical expertise to fans of Suzuki’s technologically ambitious but ill-fated 1975-1977 rotary-powered RE5, has succumbed to cancer.
In recognition of Malcolm Smith's contributions to the success of Husqvarna, the American Motorcyclist Association and Husqvarna Motorcycles North America have announced that Smith will serve as Grand Marshal at the 19th annual AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days this July 9-11 in Lexington, Ohio. Husqvarna is the Marque of the Year for 2010 AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days.
Always wild and always wonky, Daytona Bike Week is seven-plus days of motorcycle excess rivaled only perhaps by Sturgis. But unlike Sturgis, there’s real racing going on, starting with the American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association’s (AHRMA) season opener February 26 at Roebling Road Raceway 200 miles up the coast in Bloomingdale, Ga.
Remember those bad late 1970s/early 1980s movies featuring David Carridine and a host of B-grade actors bombing across the U.S. in a madcap coast-to-coast dash? Inspiration for those flicks came from auto editor Brock Yates' Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash, a protest against Richard Nixon’s 55mph speed limit. Yates was inspired by the legendary endurance runs of Erwin “Cannonball” Baker, who made his first cross country dash in 1914 aboard an Indian twin. Today, Lonnie Isam, Jr., promoter and owner of Jurassic Racing in Sturgis, South Dakota, is adding to the Cannonball thread, making final preparations for a coast-to-coast endurance run for pre-1916 motorcycles, the Motorcycle Cannonball.
New retro bikes continue to grow in popularity. Royal Enfield, Triumph, Harley and Moto Guzzi all build motorcycles geared to riders whose tastes lean to yesterday’s classics. Add one more to the list thanks to the newly incorporated California Scooter Company, which is launching a line of bikes directly inspired by the classic Mustang motorcycles built in Glendale, Calif., from 1947 to 1965.
Bonhams will auction one of the few surviving Hildebrand & Wolfmüller motorcycles, a circa-1895 model that’s been in the same ownership since the early 1930s, at its annual International Classic Motorcycle Show in Stafford, England, April 25.
Husqvarna, the legendary make that ruled AMA Racing off-road competition throughout the 1970s and 1980s, has recently made a full-throttle return to national championship contention. This July 9-11, the iconic brand will celebrate its heritage and build toward its future as the Marque of the Year at the 19th annual AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days.
Sad news comes from the vintage racing world, where it’s been reported that Kenny Eggers, one of the top riders of the 1950s, has passed away at the age of 80 of natural causes. Eggers shot to national attention in 1954 when he sailed to fifth place in the Grand National Series opener at Daytona, riding a BSA Shooting Star. BSA took the top five spots, and the famed BSA Wrecking Crew was born.
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